Outdoor Education Day
The annual Dakota SWCD Outdoor Education Field Days are held every September at the Dakota County Fairgrounds in Farmington.
Elementary schools from Dakota County are invited to participate and over 1,200 fifth-grade students attend the event each year.
Educational stations are scattered throughout the Fairground's 220-acre native prairie site. Station topics include Forestry, Soils,
Wetlands, the Nutrient Cycle, and Agriculture. The station topics are taught by local experts from the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources, the Dakota County Soil & Water Conservation District, the University of Minnesota Extension Service, the Natural Resources Conservation
Service, the Eagle Bluff Learning Center, and Dakota County Parks.
The Outdoor Education Field Days are sponsored by the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Vermillion River Watershed
Joint Powers Organization and the Minnesota Milk Producers.
Minnesota Envirothon
Minnesota Envirothon is an outdoor learning event for high
school students designed to promote natural resource awareness and education. This fast-paced competition is a hands-on learning
opportunity for students centering around environmental topics such as aquatics, soils, forestry, wildlife and current events.
4-H Club
4-H Youth Development is a youth program that increases leadership, service to the community and education about agriculture and the
environment. Get involved and compete in fairs, learn about mechanical sciences or judge competitions. Call 651-480-7752 or visit
Dakota
County 4-H for more information.
USDA-Kids
A US Department of Agriculture sponsored website made just for kids to learn about agriculture,
food and the environment. Visit USDA for Kids online.
Minnesota Conservation Corps
The Minnesota Conservation Corps provides hands-on environmental stewardship and service-learning opportunities to youth and young adults while accomplishing priority cost-effective conservation, natural resource management projects and emergency response work.
